


Brighter Than the Sun

by Raiven_Raine



Category: RWBY
Genre: First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Martial Arc, Short One Shot, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 20:46:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14553198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiven_Raine/pseuds/Raiven_Raine
Summary: Ren tries his best to comfort Juane even though he's not the best at conversation, but sometimes comfort is found without words.For the both of them.





	Brighter Than the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> ** spoiler alert - sort of. regarding volume 3 - 'End Of the Beginning'. this takes place shortly after that.
> 
> RWBY is not my fandom, but i might start writing for it because i am all about the show... and this ship, in particular. i know it isn't the most popular ship in RWBY, but it makes a lot of sense to me for many reasons... so i HAD to write this thing and represent the Martial Arc ship! ( _had to,_ you understand)
> 
> so any feedback you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated. this is the first time i've written anything outside my own fandom. (Fallout 4)

  
  
  
  
  


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Ren rolled over and his eyes fell immediately to the empty bedroll across from the campfire. Jaune wasn’t sleeping again. It didn’t take a great sense of perception to notice Jaune spent many nights either awake in bed or in a fit of nightmares and terrible thoughts.

Ren held a great deal of control over his emotions outwardly, but on the inside, where he kept them bottled up, his passion was as bottomless as any ocean. He cared very deeply for his friends, and Jaune was no exception. 

Or, perhaps, he _was_ an exception. 

Whenever Ren thought about the golden-haired boy, the emotions flowed like a raging river and always threatened to escape his mask of calm serenity. He couldn’t help it. Jaune had such a shining personality. Such passion. Where Ren hid his emotions from those around him, Jaune wore all of his emotions right on his sleeve. It was contagious and, at times, overwhelming… In a wonderful way. He shined brighter than the sun.

Ren quietly got up from the bedroll and made his way into the forest. It didn’t take long to find Jaune. He was sitting on a fallen tree staring into the darkness at nothing. Ren’s heart ached for him. 

He silently stepped closer, unsure if he should leave or try and talk with him. He never was the best at talking. Perhaps he should just leave… But the sorrow pulled him another step forward and he reached a hand out.

“Jaune?” His voice was a quiet whisper.

“Hey, Ren.” He sat up and smiled.

A great deal of pain hid just under the surface of that smile, like gray clouds on a sunny day.

“Are you… Alright?” Ren asked timidly as he carefully sat down next to the young man. He was unsure what he should say. 

“Yeah…” He shrugged, “couldn’t sleep.” He looked sideways at Ren, “you too? Is everything okay?”

Ren cracked a tiny hint of a smile. Jaune was always looking out for everyone else, even when he had all the weight of the world bearing down on him.

“You weren’t in your bedroll.” Ren paused. “I was concerned.” That didn’t quite come out like he wanted it to. He wasn’t good at this, but he desperately wanted to help. He wished he knew the right things to say. Everyone else was so much better at comforting others, perhaps he should just leave this sort of thing to them. 

“I just needed to clear my head.” Jaune placed his hands on the log and leaned back, crossing his ankles out in front of him casually. 

He was trying to hide the pain, but Ren could tell it was just a facade. A facade that Jaune tried to put on solely for Ren’s benefit. Attempting to remain strong for everyone around him. 

“I know I am not the best at conversation…” Ren tried to smile sympathetically but it only came across as the barest hint of a lip twitch, “but if you need to talk, I am a great listener.” 

Juane looked over at him, his blue eyes searching Ren’s face for a moment… Then locked onto his own fuschia eyes. 

And then Ren did smile. He couldn’t hold it back.

After a moment of silence, Jaune sighed, “I just miss her so much.” 

“As do I,” he gave a single nod of agreement. Everyone missed Pyrrha, but Jaune more so. His heart must still be completely broken. 

The sorrow in the air grew thick and overwhelming and it cracked Ren’s mask of calm a little. He spoke softly, “I know she can never be replaced… But I am here for you.” He set a hand softly on Jaune’s shoulder and they locked eyes once more. 

He had not meant to say those words. Not like that. He had just confessed his love for Jaune. Out loud. He had always been afraid it would be awkward… Jaune had always been interested in girls. He had never meant to confess and make things difficult for their friendship. 

Ren pulled his hand back from the young man’s shoulder and held it as if he had burnt himself. He had overstepped his boundaries. His eyes fell to his hands and he worked to compose himself and pull back the emotions within.

“Thank you, Ren,” Jaune said softly… Then put an arm around his shoulders. 

He glanced up to find Jaune smiling brightly. Ren couldn’t help the smile that escaped in return, but he fought to hide it. He was suddenly sure that what he had confessed went right over Jaune’s head - as did most things. 

He had a choice to make in that moment. He could explain it further, or just drop it like nothing happened and go on with his life without ever doing that again.

“I like you, Jaune.” He did not mean to say that. _Did he?_ Wrestling the emotions was becoming difficult. 

“I like you, too, Ren,” he smiled. His arm remained around Ren’s shoulders, unmoving.

“No…” He shook his head, “I like you more than a friend, Jaune.” He had thrown away another opportunity to hide his feelings as he explained further. His eyes searched Jaune’s beautiful sapphire eyes for a long moment, hoping he would understand so he wouldn’t have to be more blunt about it. He wasn’t sure he would be able.

Jaune’s smile faltered, then faded away and his eyes suddenly widened a little as it hit him. 

“Oh... “ He blinked, “oh! Yeah… Okay.” Jaune stammered, but he didn’t pull away. 

And he didn’t say anything about it, one way or another. 

One of the hardest parts about detaching one’s emotions from everyone else was that it made it difficult to empathize in some cases. This is what made Ren’s semblance work so well. A blessing and a curse, it seemed. Or, it was a curse at the moment. He wished he could know how Jaune felt and all of his perception didn’t help give him a clue.

He stared down at his hands in his lap once more and spoke quietly, “I apologize, I should not have said that.” 

“No… I’m glad you did.” 

Ren glanced up at him and he was smiling again. _Did he say that because he felt the same way?_ This was definitely not something Ren was good at.

“It’s nice to see some emotions, you know?” Jaune patted his shoulder with the hand still draped around him.

Ren looked at Jaune’s hand resting on his shoulder, then turned his head back to the boy’s face. “I have… Many emotions.” 

“Well... It’s nice to see them. I can never tell if you’re mad or if you like me or if you’re sad or--”

“I do... Like you,” Ren said again to cut off the boy’s rambling. “And now I am the one who is unsure of how you feel.” He wished Jaune would give him a hint. Anything would be better than not knowing. Even if he would have said he didn’t feel the same. Knowing would be better than confusion.

He was quiet for a long moment. 

“I’m not sure.” He shrugged, “I always thought you and Nora… You know… So I never gave it much thought…”

“I love her greatly and she is more dear to me than anything in the world,” Ren gave a nod. “But not in… That way.”

“What way?” Jaune furrowed his brow as it went right over his head. Again.

Ren was about to try his best to explain, probably with some embarrassment, and Jaune’s eyes widened. 

“Oh! _That_ way. _This_ way,” he pointed to Ren, then himself. 

“Yes… _This_ way.” His heart suddenly skipped a beat. _Was he admitting attraction?_ He couldn’t take it anymore. The confusion was starting to make emotions flow like a waterfall. 

“Jaune, please.” He just needed to know.

The smile melted off the boy’s face and Jaune silently regarded him for several seconds. 

“Yeah, Ren…” He paused in thought, “I think I may have always liked you.” He pointed to Ren then himself again, “ _this_ way,” he smiled. 

“You... _Think?”_

“Like I said, I hadn’t really thought about it… But I am now… And yeah, I think I’ve always liked you. Right from day one, honestly. You’re so cool. You’re basically a ninja!” His face lit up as he spoke, “you’re always so calm and friendly and man, can you cook! They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and you--”

Ren leaned over and kissed him to get him to stop rambling. 

Then he suddenly pulled back. “I'm… Sorry…” He stared wide-eyed at Jaune and he was staring right back the same way. His heart was pounding and a hundred thoughts circled through his mind, all crashing down for a moment in a tidal wave of emotions. He couldn’t stop them. “I didn’t mean… I lost control of my--” He tried to fight the tsunami back. 

“I… Um…” Jaune pulled his arm from around Ren’s shoulders and he rubbed nervously at the back of his head, “wow.” 

That only made things worse. 

“I’m so sorry…” Ren softly plead as he started to get control over himself once more. 

“No… It’s okay,” Jaune smiled again, “I was just surprised.”

Ren silently looked down at his hands for a moment then stood up. He should have never said anything. 

He turned to walk away and Jaune stood up behind him and set a hand on his shoulder. He tugged for him to turn around and Ren took a deep breath, then turned to face the young man. The last bit of emotions started to be pulled back into control, the very last one was a great deal of embarrassment. 

Jaune stepped closer and put his fingertips under Ren’s chin to get him to look up. 

Immediately, Ren’s eyes fell on the other boy’s as he glanced up timidly.

“Do you want to try that again, now that I’m paying attention?” Jaune smiled. 

Ren blinked up at him. Again, he had another choice to make. 

He nodded and moved closer, then Jaune closed the distance between them.  
  


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